One Step Down
by Ciel the Hedgehog
Summary: After the events in Death by Roses, Eggman's base is blown up yet again by Sonic. But by freak chance, Eggman's invention turns him into an animal himself! Will the mad scientist crush Sonic and his friends, or will his view of them change? COMPLETE!
1. Eggman's Transformation

**I'm back! Everyone's been asking for a sequel to Death by Roses. I was trying to come up with one, and this ingenius idea popped into my head. This is a sequel to Death by Roses, so it's best if you read that story first. (It might also help to read Triple Shadows) Oh, and there will be mentions of Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun from Sonic X, but not of any other X-exclusive characters. I just like those robots!**

* * *

I see the clouds streak past me as I am hurled into the sky. Down below is an explosian, as months of my work go to waste. I can see that infernal blue hedgehog running from the blast, that cocky smile on his face. No matter what happens to him, he always comes back to ruin my plans. In case you haven't noticed by now, you are being spoken to by I, Dr. Ivo Robotnik, who shall one day rule the planet!

I see three of my robots fly past me. Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun. Bokkun has managed to at least grab my newest invention, though it is currently untested. It is supposed to be a roboticizer remote. Of course, I have not told this to either of my robots, in case they are captured by Sonic and his crew.

"Dr. Eggman," Bokkun says, "What does this do?"

"That's not important!" I yell at him. "Just give it to me!"

"Nooooo!" Bokkun whined, pushing one of the buttons. All becomes dark, but I can fell myself...changing.

* * *

Sonic watched as Eggman and his cronies flew through the sky. It's always satisfying to see the egghead after his plans are foiled. Sonic slowed down a bit. Something was happening to Eggman! Before Sonic could check it out, the alarm on his watch (which Amy had made him wear) began ringing.

"Crud," Sonic muttered. "Amy will kill me if I'm late. I'll have to check it out later." Sonic turned towards Amy's house, speeding off in hopes of not being too late.

* * *

I awake in an unfamiliar place. Where am I? Everything seems taller. I look around, condluding that I have landed in a forest. Strange, but I do not recall the trees being this tall...

"So I see you're awake," a calm voice said. I look over to see a hedgehog that's remarkably similiar to Super Sonic. He also has blue stripes, and blue flecks in his red eyes. His clothes are all black, and he had a tatoo of a serpent coiled around a dagger on his leg. His left ear is pierced with a ring that looks like a red halo with devil horns. I've read about artifacts with that on it. It is called the devangel halo. Not that it matters to me at the moment. This hedgehog just looks like a punk, a Super Sonic wanna-be punk. Oddly, his voice contradicts that fact.

"Who are you?" I ask. If a hedgehog is brave enough to confront the great Dr. Eggman, I would like to know his name.

"Eno T. Kaizar," He says simply, "a hedgehog, of course. May I ask what your name is?"

"Can't you tell?" I ask him. Insolent fool, thinks he can pretend he doesn't know my name.

"Er, no," Eno replies with a shake of his head. "I've only really seen an echidna once." I stare at him. Echidna? How dare he call me an echidna? I look down, and realize he's right. I look like an orange echidna. A skinny, orange echidna. I look at the rest of me, and notice something else. I seem to posses robotic parts. My left arm and right leg are purely mechanical, with bits of machine parts on my chest, an dI think also on my head. It must have been my roboticizer. It roboticized some of my limbs, and turned the rest of me into a furry freak. I wonder why an echidna?

"Actually, I don't know either," I say. If I pretend not to know who I am, no one will suspect that I am Dr. Eggman! I can meet Sonic and his friends, and destroy them without them noticing! I am such a genius, I suprise myself.

"Do you have amnesia or something?" Eno asks me.

"I guess so," I reply. Just act stupid, and I'll be fine.

"Well, if you don't remember your name, I guess we'll just have to give you one," he says calmly. "Any idea what you'd like to be called?" I think for a minute. What woud be a good name for an echidna cyborg? Aha!

"Buster," I state simply. "Buster the Echidna." he seems to buy it. He doesn't suspect a thing.

"Well then Buster," Eno says, "Since you have nowhere to go, would you prefer travelling with me?" The fool.

"Sure, I got nothing better to do." So I get up to follow him. At first, I find walking in this form unfamiliar. But I soon get the hang of it. He leads, and I follow. Soon, this fool will lead me out of the forest. I will find Sonic, destroy him and his friends, and get back to building my Eggman Empire!**

* * *

What do you think? Eno's not dead, Eggman's a cybernetic echidna, and Sonic is actually trying not to be late! Please review this, I need support for my story!**


	2. Lots of Questions

**Last chapter was kinda' short, but hey, it was the first chapter, and written at 7 a.m. This one will be longer! Oh, and anyone wonder what would happen if Eggman was stuck with no robots? Hehehe...**

* * *

We've been walking for hours. It was one o'clock when we left (I can tell, for my robotic limbs have a pre-programmed watch!) and now it's getting dark. Even with my new energy and speed, I am still tired beyond belief. Eno doesn't look tired at all, but agree's we should stop for the night.

I know I've heard the name Eno before. Maybe Sonic mentioned it or something. But I know there was something behind that name. Gagh, it's so annoying when I can't think! All these stupid mosquitoes buzzing around my non-robotic parts. I keep getting ready to order Bocoe and Decoe to exterminate them, but then I realize my robots aren't here. Maybe being turned into an animal wasn't a good thing. I take a swat at some nearby mosquitoes, who just continue to fly around my head.

"Stupid pests," I mutter, trying to knock them away. Eno just sits and watches me. He doesn't seem to be having any troubles. I turn to him, seeing if maybe he has some bug spray. He doesn't.

"Are we close to a town or anything?" I ask him. He nods.

"The closest town is still a few miles away," he says calmly. "We can probably reach it by tomorrow."

"You mean to tell me you don't have a map?" He shakes his head. I am astounded. How could anyone, let alone some hedgehog punk, navigate without a map?

"Didn't you bring anything with you?" I ask him. He's got to have something. He shakes his head again.

"When I ended up in the forest, I didn't have any supplies," Eno said. "But it doesn't really matter. I've travelled before without anything." My god, this guy is insane! Sure, Sonic doesn't travel with anything either, but at least he can run to a town for supplies. I wonder how long he's been traveling?

"I've been in this forest for about two months now," he says, as if to answer my question. "My family and I used to travel everywhere. We later ended up moving to a town called Vale."

"I think I've heard of Vale," I say. I remember hearing that it was the town that Sonic's stupid girlfriend, Amy, came from.

"Really? Maybe you came from there," he says hopefully. I have to keep reminding myself that he thinks I have amnesia. I'll have to eventually come up with a story to explain what happened to me. People will start to wonder what happened to Dr. Eggman, and I couldn't tell them. Oh god, I hope I can get out of this blasted form soon.

* * *

Shadow, Gemini, and Ciel were investigating the ruins of Eggman's base. Sonic had called them earlier, asking them to check it out. So that's what they were doing.

"Odd," Shadow said, "usually he comes back for his stuff. But it looks like nothing's been toughed since the explosion."

"I'm hoping he died," Gemini said. "Then we wouldn't have to worry about any Robotniks.

"Maybe he already had a spare base, and ran off to that," Ciel said.

"No one's reported any new bases," Shadow said. "Maybe it would be underground."

"Or underwater," Gemini said. "Then the base starts to leak, the water gets in, and he gets drowned."

"Maybe it's on a remote island," Ciel said. "And he won't do anything for a while 'cause he's taking a break."

"Fat chance," Shadow muttered. Eggman would just come back in a few days to cause havoc again.

"Well, he is fat, isn't he? So wouldn't a fat chance be a good thing for him?" Ciel asked. Shadow chuckled a little at his brother. Ciel may have looked the same age as them, but he still had the mind of a little kid. Gemini said it was because he died when he was young, so he would act childish even after his revival.

"Hey, look at what I found," Gemini said, motioning them over. He showed them a blueprint.

"It looks like a remote," Ciel said. Shadow grabbed the blueprint, looking at it closer.

"It's the blueprints for a roboticizer," Shadow said after a close look, "designed to turn animals into mindless robots."

"Now I really hope he's dead," Gemini said. "If he perfects this, he could just barge into a town and take it over like that," Gemini snapped his fingers to indicate the quickness. "It would be no problem for him to take everything over."

"If it worked on us, especially," Shadow said. "The most powerful androids ever."

"We do have cybernetic parts in us Shadow," Gemini said. "That's one of the reasons we're more powerful than regular hedgehogs."

"I don't have those," Ciel pointed out.

"That's because your body is basically a shell," Gemini said. "It's just something to support your body with. That's why you can't eat, sleep, feel pain, etc. Besides, if everyone was a robot, you'd die from lack of life force anway."  
"Oh," Ciel said. "So what do we do if Eggman's machine does work?"

"Well, we'll just have to find it and make sure it doesn't work," Shadow said. "Come on guys, let's keep looking."**

* * *

Yay, a longer chapter! I may be a tad bit slower in putting this one up, but I promise I will finish it! Review!**


	3. Hotel Orders

**I'm getting ideas. That's a scary thought. shivers Just kidding!**

**Ciel:You were?**

**Me:Hey! Get over here! Oh, all you people just read the story, while I get this guy back in the story. Hey, is the font too big? When I previewed the chapter, the font was really big. Is this just my computer?**

* * *

We finally made it! We made it to that wretched little town Eno told me about at about six p.m. the next day. He was pretty happy to get out of that forest, as am I. Though this town isn't much better. Everyone keeps staring at me. Eno tells me it's due to my robotic limbs, but I think it's also because I'm an echidna. I remember in my research that almost all echidnas are extinct, save for Knuckles and Tikal. A sudden third echidna is probably disturbing, especially since half of these animals don't know what one is! I will be glad to rid the planet if these infernal creatures. 

"Excuse me sir," I have walked over to a store clerk. "I was wondering if you have any maps for sale."

"Why certainly," the clerk says. "World map here, five bucks. Brand new edition, too." I buy the map from him, glad that I now have something to follow other than Eno's hearsay and guesswork. I try to find him, and see him conversing with another clerk. I adjust my hearing (the robotic parts can do that) and listen to what they're saying.

"So you're sure she was here?" Eno asks.

"Yes," the clerk says. "Miss Amy comes here every so-often to wait for Sonic."

"Do you know where either of them live?" Eno seems quite interested in Amy. Maybe that is where I heard the name before. Either way, this information is vital.

"I heard Sonic lives on the outskirts of Emerald Town, and Amy has an apartment in Central City."

"I just wanted to make sure they still live there. Thank you." Eno hands the clerk a tip before walking off. I catch up to him.

"I got us a room for the night," Eno says to me.

"I got us a map," I say, pulling out the paper. "Maybe you can find your way to your friends house that way." Eno looks at me, a slight look of discontent on his face.

"So you heard me," Eno says after a while. I nod. "Oh well, I guess it can't be helped. Come on, the room's this way."

* * *

The clerk watched the two walk off. What an odd couple, he thought to himself. Suddenly, three streaks came through the town, stopping in front of his shop. Three black hedgehogs. 

"Excuse me," The first one said. The clerk recognized him from the news. Shadow the Hedgehog. "We were wondering if you had any spare rooms."

"O...of course," the clerk said, startled by Shadow. He handed them a key in exchange for the money, and they walked towards their rooms.

"See," Shadow said. "I told you I wouldn't scare them to death."

"He was pretty close to it," Gemini said. "Besides, if you had brought your emerald in the first place, we wouldn't have to be here right now."

"I have a weird feeling about this," Ciel said. "I don't like it" Shadow and Gemini looked over at Ciel, who was looking a little pale.

"That bad?" Gemini asked, lowering his sunglasses for a better look. Ciel nodded. Shadow could almost swear he felt something, but shrugged it off as nerves.

"Let's just get to our rooms," Shadow said. They all agreed, going inside as the sun set behind the trees.

* * *

"So, why were you asking about that girl?" I ask Eno. It is night now, and we are in our rooms. Eno just stared at me. 

"Old friend of mine," he says quietly, not bothering trying to keep his calm. He's probably just tired. "I haven't seen her since I was stuck in that forest."

"How did you end up in there?" I ask. I want to know as much as I can about him. Have an advantage over him.

"I was helping her and her friends," Eno said. "Do you remember when the sky went black?" I shake my head, but really, I remember. It was my father who did that, of course. "Well," he starts again, "This mad scientist called Dr. Robotnik once took away all light. Amy, Sonic, and her friends were all there, and we all tried to stop Robotnik. In the end, it was I who undid the spell, and I almost killed myself in doing so. But I didn't, and instead landed in the forest."

"How could you do that?" I ask, referring to the spell.

"I'm a light mage," he says calmly, making a small ball of light appear in the air. I stare at it, dumbfounded. If this hedgehog is telling the truth, and really is that powerful, I must be on my guard.

"Wow, you musn't be scared of anything," I say. He shakes his head.

"I'm only scared of one thing," Eno says quietly, looking a bit embarresed. I just watch as a spider walks across the floor.

"Spiders?" I say, taking a wild guess. Eno stares at me.

"Actually, yes," he says, ironic as it is. He blushes out of embarresment. "I have a bad case of arachnaphobia."

"Fear of spiders?" I ask, "Like that one right there?" Eno turns pale, looking as I point to the spider. He remains frozen to the spot, as the spider continues to march. I silently pick it up, and he relaxes a bit. Just for laughs, I "drop" it accidentally on his face. He screams so loud, I think everyone heard it. I pick up the spider again, as the door swings open.**

* * *

Didn't expect that, did ya'? Yes, Eno's arachnaphobic. Next chapter, guess who comes in the door? Hint: The clerk saw them. **


	4. Eggman's Thinking

**Okay, I'm back again. I started writing chapter 4 this morning, but the computer shut down before I got to save (and I was almost done too...) Oh well. As my teacher says, it just makes for a better chapter the next time (he should know, he's writing a book) So here is the new chapter 4!**

* * *

The figure in the doorway is a hedgehog. Black with blue stripes, a long lock of fur over one of his eyes like bangs. The hedgehog looks tired, sleep deprived, and most importantly, ticked.

"Excuse me," he says, "but some of us are trying to sleep. Shut up." I immediatly recognize the voice as Gemini, one of the projects that was discovered recently to have been created by my grandfather. But something is different about him (besides the fact he isn't wearing his clothes and sunglasses for once) They power I sensed in him when I met him is gone. I don't have long to contemplate this, as Shadow and Ciel enter the room.

"Gemini," Shadow says, suppressing a yawn, "We should get to our room." Shadow turns to us. "Sorry about that. My brother's a little tired."

"Aren't you Shadow?" Eno asks. Shadow rubs his eyes a bit, taking another look.

"You're alive, I see," Shadow says. I suppose that they were on my father's ship also.

"Who's that with you?" Ciel asks. Everyone turns towards me, Shadow and Gemini noticing me for the first time.

"I am called Buster," I say, stepping into the light Eno had made earlier. I can see their eyes widen in suprise. I am fortunate that not only do I look different from my human self, but sound different as well. My voice is like a higher version of Knuckles, with a metallic voice combined. No one could tell who I am at first glance.

"Cool!" Ciel walks up to me, extending his hand. "My name's Ciel!" I never have actually seen him up close. The only time I have seen him was back in my base, during which he had gone ballistic. Oddly, I find it hard to remember that. I shake the memory aside, shaking his hand with my non-robotic one (It's a little hard to use it my robotic arm, due to the fact that it's shaped like a cannon. Ever seen Tail's arm cannon? It looks like that, but it's gray, and has fingers) Ciel has a suprisingly light grip, and his nails aren't as sharp as they look. I step back.

"So what are you two doing here?" Gemini asks. He probably just wants to get it over with and go to sleep.

"After what happened on the ship, I landed in the forest," Eno says. "I just got out this afternoon. As for Buster, I found him yesterday. He says he's got amnesia. By the way," Eno turns to me, calm yet with a slight glare (I suppose he's upset I dropped the spider) "Has it gotten any better?"

"I think I remember a bit," I say to them, coming up with a story to ease any suspicions. "I was captured by Dr. Eggman a while ago. I had a few injuries, so he turned them into robotic parts."

"He must have used that roboticizer!" Shadow says in suprise. "Judging from Buster's parts, I'd say he's almost completed it." How did they know about my roboticizer? That info was top secret! What if they found out from my robots? Oh god, that'd be bad.

"Remember anything else?" Shadow asks.

"Well, when the base exploded, I was blasted out of the place, along with the roboticizer. I grabbed it in the air, and crushed it before crashing into the forest." They sigh in relief. They bought it! And when I get back to normal, I can suprise them with my roboticizer, and take control of them all! Pure genius, I tell you.

* * *

Soon afterwards, Shadow and his brothers went back to their room, and Eno went to sleep. No one else is here now, as I begin to plot the perfect plan. You see, tomorrow we are going to Emerald Town, so Eno can see Amy. Once there, I can begin to cause havoc amongst Sonic and his friends. I walk outside the hotel, to a spot far enough away so that no one can hear me. I switch on the computer linkup device in my arm, calling up my robots. I can see them through video link almost immediatly.

"Dr. Eggman, is that you?" Bokkun asks. I nod.

"But you're an echidna!" says Decoe.

"I know I'm an echidna!" I yell at them. "Blame Bokkun. I told you not to use my stuff!"

"Sorry Dr. Eggman," Bokkun says.

"There is a way I can forgive you three," I say. "Bokkun, do you still have it with you?"

"Yessir Dr. Eggman!" He salutes proudly, bringing out the device.

"Excellent. I'm going to need that. Listen, I'm emailing you a list of supplies I need. I need you three to find me a place I can keep the stuff in Emerald Town. Then, once you have, we will meet at the Spotlight Cafe, and you will show me where it is. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes sir!" They all yell at once.

"Excellent. I shall call tomorrow to check on your progress. Eggman out." I turn toward the hotel, walking toward it. Out of nowhere, Ciel appears.

"Where were you?" Ciel asks me. How did he notice I was gone?

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" I ask him.

"Nope, I can't sleep. Not that I need to sleep, of course." Drat. That means he could follow me anywhere at anytime! I shall need to take him out first, before he figures out my plan.

"Ciel, is there anything you're scared of?" I ask.

"No, not really," he says. "Although I don't really like loud noises. They hurt my ears." Ciel pawed a bit at one of his ears, making the earings on it jingle.

"Like Eno screaming?" I ask him. He's just as gullible as Knuckles, the imbecille!

"Don't remind me, that was really loud!" Ciel says. "Although it was sorta' funny when it woke up my brothers." He accidentally scatched himself, but oddly, the wound cleared right up, as if it had never been there.

"How did you do that?" I ask amazed. Did my grandfather install this in him?

"It's just natural," Ciel says simply. I can see it's part of a touchy subject. I shrug, continuing my way to the hotel. There is a lot I don't know about these creatures. But now that I have the chance, I shall find out once and for all!**

* * *

Eggman's getting ideas. That's even scarier. And for those of you wondering about Ciel's abilities (which Eggman is clueless of,), I will be posting some more info on my profile page and in later chapters. Or you could just read Triple Shadows. Ah well.**


	5. Handstand!

**I can't wait for SUMMER! That is all.**

* * *

"Wake up sleepy!" I awaken to Ciel inches from my face. It seems he's already woken up Eno, who is still groggy looking.

"It's 6 am," I say. even though I am a cyborg, I still need a minimal amount of sleep. And in my book, six is too early to wake up.

"Shadow says it's a long ride from here to Emerald Town, so we need to get there a.s.a.p," Ciel explains happily. "He says we have an hour before the train leaves. Enough time to wash up and have breakfast. See ya' in a bit!" With that, Ciel runs out the room.

"I still think six is way too early in the morning," I say. "I'd rather sleep until nine at least." Eno merely shrugs, walking off towards the shower room. This leaves me alone, with nothing to do for the next hour. I don't need to eat (I haven't tried it, but sadly, I don't think it would be a good idea) I can't take a shower (I am no waterproof, and I never wanted to try rusting) and I have no personnal possesions of which to pack. I walk out into the town, for lack of anything better.

* * *

I never have really entered a town like this before. It used to be that I always went in with my robots, crushing anything I wanted to (a.k.a. everything) with a simple command. I certainly can't do that now. I have no experience in hand-to-hand combat, and I have yet to figure out how my arm-cannon works. A full-out attack would be suicidal. But now, looking at the town first hand, I realize it's not half bad. The town is civilized (I always imagined tribes and huts) and similiar to human towns, such as Station Square and Central City. I always thought animal built towns as primitive, but I guess I was wrong.

"What happened to you, Mr. Roboguy?" a little girl asks. I turn around to see a small crowd of little kids around me, some gazing up in wonder, others cowering in fear.

"It became robotic, what do you think?" I say. "and the name is Buster" I hate having little kids following me. They're so annoying. They merely gaze some more. The boys mutter something about my "name"

"Mr. Buster?" One little cat girl asks, "Can you stand on your head?"

"I bet he can't!" A little boy says. "Too much metal, he'll just fall down."

"He's a robot, so he can do anything!" Another kid says. So these kids are challenging me, eh? I'll show them.

"You're on!" I say. Let's see, how do I do one? Let's see, first I put my hands on the ground. I've seen it before, I can do it. Let's see, next I Put down my head. Good, doing good. The kids just stare, and I think I see more coming. Okay, next I bring up the lower part of my body. Oh god, I'm going to fall! No, I think I got it. I can feel my legs up in the air, and blood rushing to my head.

"HA!" I say loudly. "See, I can do that, no sweat."

"Fine then," the boy says, still unsatisfied. "Handstand." A loud "Ooo" goes out through the crowd. That shouldn't be too hard, I think. I lift my head off the ground, legs still in the air. My arms are getting tired. I'm not used to this much physical exertion. Shoot.

"Preparing to fire arm-cannon," a robotic voice in my head says. Oh no, that means...

_BANG_! The cannon goes off, and I am hurled into the air like a rocket. I can see the crowd, some animals pointing at me, others gasping in suprise. I land with a loud _thud _on the ground. The boy laughs harshly. It still rings in my head as the creatures leave, laughing about the foolish robot-boy.

"Are you okay Mr. Buster?" the little girl asks. I am about to respond, when some of the kids come to usher her away. She waves to me as she leaves.

"That was some firework," I turn my head to see Shadow, an amused look on his face. "Can't say I've ever blasted myself that high."

"That was AWESOME!" Ciel says excitedly. "One second, you were on the ground, and then _boom!_ You blasted up so high! It was so cool!" Shadow laughs at Ciel's childishness. I groan.

"You okay?" Eno asks calmly, but I notice the smirk on his face.

"What does it look like?" I ask. "Although it was kinda' fun." Well, I guess it was.

"So...could you do it again?" Ciel asks. I glare at him, but he see's it as a playful one.

"Come on guys," Gemini says, just coming from the hotel. "We're going to be late for the train to Emerald Town."

"It's not for another ten minutes, right?" Shadow asks.

"Correction: five," I say. I guess that's not much time, as we are soon running over to the station.

"Five tickets please!" Shadow says, being the first one there. He gets the tickets, passing one to each of us. We get on the train right as it begins to leave.

"How long's the ride?" I ask Eno.

"Few hours," he says. Just great, even more time to waste. I can't wait to get out of here.**

* * *

Hehehe, Eggman's bored. Oh well, guess he'll just have to suffer. (Mwahahaha!)**


	6. Scorge Attacks!

**I would just like to say, thanks to the people who read my stories! You are so WONDERFUL! Yipoi! Read!**

* * *

I have discovered the biggest mess on the face of the planet. From half eaten chillidogs to piles of dirty laundrey, this room has it all. It is known as the living room, ownd by none other than Sonic the Hedgehog. 

"My god Sonic," Gemini says, "When was the last time this place was cleaned?"

"Uh, Saturday?" Sonic says. For the record, today is Tuesday.

"Let's rephrase that," Shadow says. "When was the last time you cleaned it. As in you, not Amy, YOU."

"Hmm, let me think..." Sonic mumbles. "Uhmm, err, I think last month?"

"You are sick, faker," Shadow says. I am busy trying to disable my sense of smell, while the others try to cover their noses. Sonic doesn't seem to notice.

"I was going to help Amy clean it up today," Sonic said apologetically. "I just didn't know you'd be calling." Just when I think I couldn't be suprised any more, a white hedgehog comes in. But for some odd reason, he has bat wings. He looks an awful lot like...

"Daddy!" the boy says, running over to Sonic (apparantly, he doesn't smell anything either) who picks him up.

"Hey Scorge," Sonic says. "Guess who decided to visit?"

"Shadow Faker!" Scorge says, jumping from Sonic's arms to Shadow's. Shadow looks annoyed.

"How many times do I have to tell you, no faker!" Shadow says. "Just Shadow, 'kay? Sha-dow"

"Sha-dow Fa-ker," Scorge sounds out the words, soon tugging on Shadow's ear. Shadow starts growling.

"He's only four Shadow," Sonic says. I just stare.

"Is he...your kid?" I ask. He nods. Damn, I always thought Sonic was a virgin. I know Rouge isn't the mother, but it's obvious the kid's part bat. His behavior though? All Sonic. The kid notices me.

"Daddy, it's a robot!" he yells. Sonic looks over, suprised. I suppose he didn't notice me at first.

"Holy crud, that better not be Knuckles," he says. I laugh.

"No Sonic," I say. "I am Buster. No relation to Knuckles. At least I don't think so."

"He's got amnesia," Ciel says. Sonic nods, and there is a knock at the door.

"Come in," Sonic says. The door burst open, a burst of speed tackeling Sonic.

"I'm here Sonic!" Amy yells as her hero falls to the floor. Cream and Tails follow in behind. Tails notices me immediatly.

"Oh my gosh!" Tails says. "A cyborg! How'd he get here?" I cast a glare at him. I am not a toy. If he knew who this really was, he'd be cowering in fear. Especially now that I know how to use my cannon. The fox kit quiets up under my gaze.

"Shadow and the boys brought him in," Sonic says. "Eno's here too." Amy stops hugging Sonic, now running over to Eno.

"Eno!" she yells, grabbing on to him. "I thought you were dead! You shouldn't scare me like that! Why didn't you come back sooner?"

"Long...story...please let go," Eno says, his face turning a little blue (That girl must hug hard!) Shadow suggests that the kids go out of the room, so the adults can talk. Tails, Cream, Scorge, and Ciel all go outside, I follow them for lack of interest in the "grown up's" conversation. Luckily, Sonic's backyard is cleaner than his house. Before I can admire the scenery, I am jumped by Scorge.

"Attack the robot!" Scorge yells. "Don't let him call Eggman!" The little tyke climbs up on my head, almost making me fall over.

"Scorge, he's not a robot!" Cream cries. "He's an echidna too!" Her and Cheese attempt to pull the kid from my head, with no luck.

"But he's got metal on him!" Scorge shrieks. "And an Egg-face tatoo! He works for the Egg!"

"Knock it off Scorge," Tails says, also trying to help. It takes Cream, Tails, Ciel, and lot's of screaming to get the kid off. I almost blast him, but soon remember not to blow my cover. I have enough to worry about.

"Now, say you're sorry Scorge," Cream says. Scorge shakes his head, curling up into a little ball.

Break it up you two," Ciel says, pushing the two apart. "Sorry 'bout that Buster."

"No...problem," I say. Tonight, I will come up with a plan. I shall kill not just Sonic, but Scorge, and anyone else who gets in my way!**

* * *

Too much talking! For those of you who didn't die from that, I promise you, the next chapter will be more exciting. If you have any ideas, tell me! Yes, this story's going somewhere!**


	7. When Ciel gets Angry

**Must...write...more...before brother goes to bed (my computer is in my brother's room) This will be a better chapter. For those of you who didn't read Triple Shadows, you may be a little confused, but I'll write it best I can!**

* * *

In Emerald Town, barely any lights are on after dark. Thanks to my robotic eye, I can still see. The map my robots downloaded says right about here. I turn to a dark alleyway, a hand ushering me inside.

"Here it is, Dr. Eggman!" Decoe says. Bocoe opens up a door in the alley, revealing a large, abandoned room. Most of my gizmos have already been placed inside. Bokkun is busily flying around, sweeping cobwebs.

"Do you like it?" Bocoe asks. I nod.

"Perfect," I say. "Those fools will never know I'm here."

"So, what is your plan Dr. Eggman?" Bokkun asks. Bocoe and Decoelean in to hear what I'm about to say.

"Simple," I say. "They do not suspect me as Dr. Eggman. they only think I am a poor echidna who got roboticized. I will destroy them right under their noses. Speaking of which, do you still have the roboticizer?"

"Of course sir!" Bokkun says, pulling it out. I grab it, holding it with my non-robotic hand. All I need is to fix it up, and I can turn everyone into my slave. But then, I might not be able to turn back to normal...

My thoughts are interrupted as I hear a voice calling my name. Ciel is looking for me, as I assumed he would. Perfect timing.

"Bocoe, Decoe, Bokkun, hide," I say. "I am going to do something, and I can't have you seen. I will return later." I wait for them to get away before I walk up to Ciel.

"There you are Buster!" Ciel says happily. "I was looking everywhere for you. I was afraid you might have gotten lost."

"No need to worry about me," I say. "I'm more concerned about you. shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Nope!" he says. "I already told you, I don't need sleep! I'm a vamparagus."

"And what exactly is that?" I ask. I really do not fully understand it, but it is also part of my plan.

"A vamparagus," Ciel says, "is a dead person revived from dark magic. I died when I was on the Ark, but Gemini revived me later, so I'm a vamparagus too."

"Well then, why don't they revive Maria?" I ask. I wonder if Shadow has asked that.

"First of all, you need something with the person's blood. Since we were created with Black Doom's blood, Gemini had to use a Black Arm (a black hawk to be precise, which is why Ciel has wings) Secondly, a revived person is not whole. Our bodies can't support a life force, so we have to take it from other people. That's the only way we can die."

"So without a life force, you die, right?" I ask. Ciel nods. "Like a vampire takes blood? Vamparagus sounds an awful lot like vampire." Ciel shakes his head rapidly.

"No no no!" Ciel says. "Vampires are evil! The scum of the planet! They not only kill people, but enslave them too. And they're so mean and arrogant. Buster, don't ever ever compare the two."

"So basically, you're like a life stealing vampire?" I'm getting him mad. Good. It's fun to watch him shake with rage.

"NO! I'm not evil!"

"I say they're both evil," I say meanly. "Evil, fangfaced scumbags. Like you."

"Stop it! You're mean!" Ciel whines, covering his ears with his hands (also childish)

"Evil Baby Fangface," I taunt, getting meaner with each word. I never got the chance to fight with words like this. This is fun!

"Cut it out! Buster, don't be so mean!"

"Scuumy copy of a vampire," I say. In an instant, he's at my throat, holding me by the neck. His claws are even sharper now, as are his fangs. I forgot what he was like when he's angry. The childish look is gone, replaced by Ciel's other personallity: Malicious, spiteful, an almost Dracula-like attitude. He digs his nails in harder, bearing his teeth.

"When I say stop, you will stop," he orders. Not says, orders.

"If I don't?" I ask mockingly.

"Then you will end up like this fool," Ciel says. He tosses me into the wall, pouncing onto a nearby rabbit. Blood seeps from the neck but Ciel is just drinking the precious lifeforce. Instead of coming back to me, he takes off for his next victim. He's gone mad, just as I predicted. The robots and I watch from a distance, as the vamparagian hedgehog takes down his prey. I am scared. He wasn't this bad when I saw him enraged, but he was bad. He bit me. In spite of myself, I laugh.

"You dare laugh at me," I hear him whisper into my ear, as he bites into my neck. All but my robotic limbs are frozen, and those are busy trying to pry the hedgehog off me. My robots cower in the corner, and I hear footsteps behind me. Ciel falls off me, I look up to see his brothers.

"You okay?" Shadow asks me, a hint of concern in his voice. I nod, rubbing my neck. But as long as I am part robot, I am immortal. Ciel's taken no life from me. Gemini trys to wake up Ciel.

"Ciel, wake up!" Gemini yells. Ciel groans a little, opening his eyes. "What the hell did you do?" Gemini yells at him. Ciel covers his ears.

"I didn't mean to," Ciel says. "He made me."

"Dammit Ciel, you did it yourself. Buster did nothing to purposely provoke you." Ciel snapped to life.

"But he's Eggman!" Ciel yells. "His life tastes just like it! That's Eggman!" Oh god, here it comes.

"You idiot!" Gemini screams. "I never thought you would stoop so low. You're going home, and staying there."

"Hey, that's a little harsh," Shadow says.

"Shut the hell up Shadow! Come on Ciel." Gemini walks off towards their appartment. Shadow followed behind, trying to talk sense into his enraged brother. Ciel is the last to leave, but not before turning to me.

"That was mean," Ciel said, his tone a mix between his two selves. "I swear, I will get you for that." I watch him walk off behind his brother.

"Phase one, complete," I say into the darkness.**

* * *

Hehe. Gemini's a little harsh. Gemini has anger issues, and Ciel almost never fights back. So Ciel usually becomes the one Gemini yells at when he's angry. But yes, Ciel's basically grounded. (poor Ciel)**


	8. More Mischief

**Sorry it took me so long to update! First, I had a case of writer's block, then I had to work at the school carnival, and then I had to finish a long report, and I also had a friend over. But now, here's Chapter 8!**

* * *

Back at Sonic's house. I'm going to have to stay here for a while, for lack of a better place to stay. But so far, everything is going according to plan. I have a base inside the town, and the one person who's on to me is locked up. Kudos to me. And now, I've also made sure no technology can reveal my plans either...

"You know what Buster?" Tails asks.

"Yes, I know what. Real nice guy." A joke, of course.

"Haha, real funny," Tails says sarcastically. "I think I should examine you with my computer. We can see how your robotic limbs work, see how it was done, and maybe we could...change you back to normal." I stare in disbelief, but it's all an act.

"You can do that?" I ask, pretending to be astonished. Of course, I'm not. If it does work, Cream is a goth, and Shadow owns a flower shop. That's how unlikely it is. Of course, he doesn't know. He leads me to the room, explaining his machine along the way. He opens up various programs on his computer, attaches various wires to me, and the like.

"Okay, now to see how you work," he says. He types a bit on his keyboard, and presses a button.

"Access denied, foxboy," the computer chimes. Tails stares at the screen dumbfounded. I think I see a fly near his mouth.

"What?" Tails manages to say. "Oh well, maybe this will work." Sonic, Shadow and Scorge come in and watch.

"Access denied, loser," the computer says. The voice is exactly like my voice when I'm human. Tails looks even more bewildered, Shadow snickers a little.

"I don't think the computer likes you, little buddy," Sonic says.

"But I had it fixed up last week!" Tails yells. "This can't be happening! Maybe if I..."

"Access denied, because you all suck! You suck dirt!" the computer says loudly. Shadow lets out a laugh.

"I see you Shadow," the computer says. "and I agree with Sonic, you're the faker." Shadow stops laughing.

"Stupid computer!" he yells loudly. "Take this!" In his anger, Shadow does a karate chop on the computer. The scrren turns blank.

"Shadow, what did you do?" Tails cries.

"I chopped it," Shadow says. "Either it fixes, or it breaks. And this time...it broke." I undo the cords attached to me, as Tails attempts to attack Shadow (I think he's ticked, don't you?) and I quietly leave the room. I turn around to see Sonic and Scorge behind me.

"Hey Buster," Sonic says, "I apologize about what happened yesterday with Scorge. He thought you were trying to hurt everyone." Well I am, but he doesn't know that.

"But Daddy," Scorge says to Sonic, "You always told me to never trust a robot, because all robots are bad." Sonic looks a little embarresed.

"Erm...I guess I did say that..." Sonic says. I have to supress a laugh.

"So is that all you wanted to tell me?" I ask. "That you two are sorry?"

"Actually," Sonic says, "I need to help Amy out. Usually, I'd have Ciel watch Scorge but...you know why he's not here today. So, could you watch Scorge?"

"Sure, I'll keep an eye on him," I say. Sonic thanks me and walks off. My god, that idiot! Oh, this is going even better than I expected. Yes, it was me who tampered with Tail's computer (and I snuck Bokkun in it to annoy them) and now I have Sonic's son right here! Oh, this is going to be good.

"Hey Scorge," I say once Sonic's out of hearing range, "I have something I want to show you, okay?"

"Cool!" Scorge says. "Where is it?"

"First, you must promise not to try and harm me in any way, okay?" I ask.

"Okay! I'm good at keeping promises!" He says happily.

"Very well then, follow me!"

* * *

We soon arrive inside my base. The kid looks around in awe.

"Wow, Eggman's got a base in the middle of the city?" Scorge asks, astonished at all my gadgets.

"Yes," I say. I suddenly stop, pretending to hear something.

"What is it?" he asks. I motion for him to be quiet.

"I hear Eggman coming," I whisper. "Quick, hide in here." I point to a pile of crates.

"Then can I fight him?" he asks. I shake my head.

"No, he's real strong. He'll beat you, and then Daddy would have to save you. Listen, just hide in here, and I'll come get you later."

"Okay Mr. Buster!" Scorge hides behind the crates, as I directed. I silently walk over to a table full of gadgets, pressing a button. A large cage comes out of the ground.

"Sucker!" I sneer at the little kid. He looks rapidly around, searching for a way out of this sudden predicament.

"Buster, the Eggman got me," he cries. "You got to get me outta' here!"

"Nope," I say, "'Cause I am the Eggman! And now you are trapped, with no way out."

"Daddy will come save me!" Scorge yells. "He always does!"

"He doesn't even know about this base. Without Tail's computer, or a chaos emerald, he'll never find you." Scorge looks down at the floor, trying not to cry. For a moment, I feel almost sorry for the little guy. The feeling soon fades, as I head out the door.

"Don't forget kid," I say, "the Eggman's watching."**

* * *

Whoo boy, Sonic isn't gonna' be too happy. But Eggman's not done yet! Next chapter: Knuckles meets Buster!**


	9. Lies and a Warning

**Ooh...I'm so happy. My friend finally gave me the picture I requested. I inked&colored it, and now it looks so cool. Chelsey, if you're reading this, THANK YOU! Back to story.**

* * *

I came up with a pretty good story to explain Scorge's sudden disappearence. I explained that we had gone to the outskirts of town, when he thought he found something. He went after it, and I tried to stop him. Using his speed, he left me behind. I looked for him for hours, but he didn't come back. Sonic buys the story, and no one suspects me. Sadly, the worst of my troubles today are still to come.

The doorbell begins to ring. Sonic left to search for Scorge, so Tails answers the door.

"Yo, Tails!" Knuckles is at the door. Hmm, this is not good. Due to the fact that I am an echidna, he will surely wonder where I cane from. As far as I know, he and Tikal are the only living echidnas left. I'll have to find a way to get rid of him, and fast.

"Sorry Knux," Tails says, "Sonic's not here at the moment."

"Actually," Knuckles says, "Blaze was the one who wanted to see him." I notice the purple cat beside Knuckles. I have a particular dislike for her. Not only have I fought her before, but she doesn't even belong in this dimension! Such things irk me, but I can't let that show.

"We can tell him for you," Tails says. "Or we can wait for Sonic and the others to get here. I believe he was going to find Amy and Eno to help him. Scorge went missing, you see. Sonic and Shadow both went to go after him."

"And he left you here alone?" Blaze asks. Tails shakes his head.

"Well, Cream's here," Tails says, and Blaze brightens up a little. "and there's also..." I decide to show myself instead of hide, so I walk up to the echidna.

"Buster," I say, extending my non-metallic hand in greeting. Knuckles stares in suprise, although Blaze shakes my hand, introducing herself and Knuckles. We all head to the living room, waiting for Sonic and the others to arrive. Cream also comes in, talking to Blaze. Knuckles keeps asking me about my past, where I'm from, and so on. I keep explaining to him that I have amnesia, but for once he's not being gullible. About an hour passes, and I think he's going to ask again, when the door opens. Sonic, Shadow, Amy, and Eno all walk in, Sonic looking extremely depressed.

"I just can't find him anywhere Tails," Sonic says to the fox-boy, not noticing Knuckles and Blaze. "I've looked just about everywhere I can think of. No one's seen him."

"Don't worry Sonic," Tails says, "We'll find him. But seeing as you're back, Blaze came to tell you something."

"Oh, hey Blaze," Sonic says, not really caring. "What'd you want to say?"

"I've recieved a warning from the sol emeralds," she said calmly. "They tell me that Eggman is back, but in a form you do not recognize. He is going to try and seperate us, taking us out one by one, until he gets to you. Be cautious."

"Do you know what he looks like in this form?" Shadow asks, casting a suspicious glance at me. Wait a minute...did Ciel tell him? Does Shadow know my secret? Well then, I guess I'll have to take care of him too.

"I'm afraid I do not know," Blaze says. "It holds a few similiar properties to him, but I do not know much else."

"Maybe Scorge went after Dr. Eggman?" Cream quietly says to herself. Sonic's ears prick up.

"Oh god, he probably did!" Sonic says, concern etched across his face. "He must've gone to find Eggman after his mistake with Buster! Crud, I've gotta' go find him! Come on Amy!" Without thinking, Sonic grabs on to Amy before running off.

"Guys, come back!" Cream says, rushing to the door.

"Sonic never thinks before he acts, does he?" Eno asks. "I'll go after him, okay?"

"I'll fire up the Tornado, and see if I can find them from the skies. Coming Cream?"

"Sure Tails!" Cream and Tails run off towards the garage, Eno races out the door. I walk up to Knuckles.

"You know Knuckles," I say to him, "I think all your questioning reminded me of something."

"Well then, please say," Knuckles says. Gullible fool.

"Ever heard of the Nocturne Mountains?" I ask. He nods. "I think I remember living around there. Me and a village of other echidnas." Knuckles eyes grow wide, a look of intense joy on his face.

"Nocturne Mountains?" he asks. "Makes sense, I never really checked the place out. Well then, I better get going! You coming too?"

"I wish I could," I say, "but I have to stay here and assist the others. Least I can do in return for their hospitality."

"Okay then, I'll tell them you said hi." Knuckles turns around, running towards the door. "Come on Blaze, we've got a mission."

"But what about the Master Emerald?" she asks.

"Tikal can handle it," he says. "She promised to guard it for the week. Come on!" Knuckles is practically dragging Blaze out the door, but soon they're gone. I breath a sigh of relief. There goes that pain in my neck. but I still feel like I'm forgetting someone.

"I see you're content." I turn to see Shadow behind me.

"And what is it to you?" I ask. "I thought you'd be helping Sonic or your brothers."

"Sonic needs no assistance, and my brothers can look after themselves," he says, an icy tone in his voice sends chills down my spine. "You, on the other hand, haven't exactly earned my trust yet."

"Fine then," I say calmly. "I won't lie to you. So I want to show you something."

"Oh really?" he asks, glaring at me, as if to see my thoughts.

"No really," I say, acting a little worried, "I wouldn't lie to you. Look, it has to do with Eggman. That thing Blaze said reminded my of it. I know Sonic's too busy to help at the moment, and you're stronger anyway." He smirks a bit. He's always been a bit arrogant. I know just how to use that to get him to listen to me.

"Lead the way," he says, "but no funny business."

"Nothing funny, I promise."**

* * *

Liar, liar, pants on fire! Wait, he doesn't wear pants...dang it! Oh well, be back next chapter to see what happens to Shadow. Mwahaha-was I laughing like that again? I'm sorry, bad habit.**


	10. Pscho Eggman!

**Hmm...this chapter may be a little suprising. I find that a story is more exciting when the bad things happen to well-liked characters. Is that just me, or does anyone else agree?**

* * *

Shadow and Buster walked silently through Emerald Town. Shadow kept glancing over at Buster, still not trusting him. Something about him was familiar. Shadow couldn't put his finger on what it was, though. They turned to a dark alleyway, Buster opening a hidden door. Inside was loads of machines. Eggman's machines.

"Eggman's new base is in here," Shadow said quietly. Buster nodded.

"And what do you see over there?" Buster asked, pointing to a cage in the corner. Shadow looked at it.

"Scorge!" Shadow said in suprise. "How'd he get here?" Scorge tried to say something, but he couldn't speak. After his capture earlier, the robots had gagged him, rendering any attempt to warn Shadow useless. Scorge could only watch as Buster and Shadow walked up to his cage.

"I wonder how he got here," Shadow wondered. Buster turned to him.

"I brought him here," Buster said. "He's my hostage."

"So you can bring Eggman here?" Shadow asked. A grin came across Buster's face, an evil grin.

"No," Buster said. "I am Eggman."

* * *

I love the look on Shadow's face. Mainly suprise, but also confusion.

"I suspected you were working for him," Shadow says, "but I didn't think you were him. What happened?"

"When Sonic destroyed my base," I say, "My roboticizer went off, and turned me into this. I won't have that happen again."

"But why tell me?" Shadow asked. I grinned at him.

"I need you to deliver a message to Sonic," I say. "I am giving him a choice. Either his son dies, or..." I pull out the roboticizer, "he will become my robotic slave. Either way, Sonic will have to see." Shadow's eyes are filled with horror, rage, and pure disgust. I wave the roboticizer a bit. "Of course, I would like a few more test subjects. I can honestly say I haven't worked out all the bugs. So..."

My speech is interuppted, as Bocoe and Decoe come in, one of my guard bots behind him.

"Dr. Eggman, sir," Bocoe says, "One of your robots have caught an intruder." The guard bot lifts up his fist, a hedgehog dangling from his grip. Eno, and he isn't exactly happy.

"What should we do with him?" Decoe asks. I can feel the tension in the air as everyone stares at me, waiting for my decision. It makes me feel important, in control of the situation. I wish this feeling could last forever, but I know better than that.

"Restrain him," I say. "I will do my demonstration on him."

"Buster, how could you?" Eno asks. "I helped you out, didn't I?"

"My name is Eggman," I say, "and no one can change my mind. Now, all of you shall witness my roboticizer. Shadow, Scorge, keep your eyes on Eno." I lift up the roboticizer, aiming it at the gold hedgehog. I pull the trigger, hesitating for just a moment. I hear screams as flesh and blood turns to steel. Suddenly, the device is wrenched out of my hand, and turned off. I look over at Shadow, roboticizer in his hand. I can't bring myself to look at Eno, whatever he's become.

"I had a feeling you'd do that," I say, trying to still sound in control. But in reality, I feel guilty. Eno was an innocent, unsuspecting of my true nature. He trusted me.

"Oh really?" Shadow asks hotly, the roboticizer aimed at me. There's only one thing to do. I stare at him, meeting his gaze

"You once said you would grant me one wish," I say. "I never said it was for the chaos emeralds. What I want...what I want is to see you, Sonic, and all the rest of you furry little fiends writhe in pain. I think I'll start with you."

_Bang! _My arm cannon hits him straight in the chest. I watch him fall, a bright red hole in the middle of the pure white chest-fur. I can see his eyes, they're wide with shock. His breath comes in gasps, on the brink on unconciousness.

"Guard Robo," I say, "Do what you wish with Shadow. As for you, Bocoe and Decoe, I want you to find Sonic. Bring him here immediatly."**

* * *

Eggman is a psycho! This isn't originally what I had in mind, but who cares! I'm so evil. Eeeeevil. Review, or you're next...**


	11. One Step Down

**This is really not how I originally thought up the end of the story. Shadow wasn't really in it, it wasn't at Eggman's base, etc. But I like the way it's turning out, don't you?**

* * *

What have I done? I never thought I could stoop so low. When I first decided to try and conquer the world, not destroy it like my predeccessors, I thought it would be easy. I was proven wrong. When I was turned into an animal, I thought I could easily dispose of Sonic and friends. I am seeing the truth. no matter how much of me is metal, I still do not have it in me to kill purposely. The difference between me and my father is that he could do that, but he died. I cannot...but I won't let that stop me from succeeding.

I look over at my captives. Shadow, trying not to faint. He will soon, though. My arm-cannon is strong, but it also is proggrammed like a tranquillizer dart. If the victim doesn't die, they're unconcious. That way, Shadow will not be a burden. I look over at Scorge. The young child is staring at the floor, silent. The boy that had been so eager to defeat me a few days ago, now too scared to say anything. If Sonic were in this condition, would he act the same way?

Finally, I bring myself to look at Eno. He's lying on the ground. It almost looks as if he's dead. Various parts are encased in metal, including both arms, and the lower half of his face. He's no longer a hedgehog, but not a robot. He's a freakish hybrid, just like me. Unlike him, I always knew I didn't belong. I knew that I could find a way to fix myself eventually. He doesn't have that. When I invented the roboticizer, I did not want this. Now I have to deal with the consequences.

"Grab a hold of yourself," says a voice inside of me. "It doesn't matter who falls, or what happens. Just as long as you rid of Sonic, and succeed in building your empire. You've come this far, you can't turn back." I pull myself together, agreeing with this thought. I must not fail, unlike my fathers before me. I see a blue streak come through the door. Sonic has arrived, along with Amy.

"So I see this is what Blaze meant," Sonic says. "You were Eggman the whole time, Buster!"

"So you finally figured it out," I say. "But it's too late for your friends." I motion towards Shadow and Eno, both of which are now unconcious. Sonic looks disgusted, Amy stifles a gasp. I grin, though it's mainly to convince myself.

"You monster!" Amy yells. "How could you do this?"

"Same way I'll do Scorge," I say. "Sonic, I'm giving you a choice. Scorge is in my hands, there's nothing you can do to free him. Either you die, and he becomes my slave, or the other way around. If you don't pick, or try to save your son, then I will blow the city sky high!" Sonic stares at me in horror, along with Amy. I can hear Scorge in his cage, trying not to cry. But I don't even care any more. After what has happened, killing someone is no problem. We all wait in silence, as I wait for Sonic to respond.

"Well?" I ask. "Have you decided?" Sonic stares at me, sorrow in his eyes, but he's not crying. At least, not on the outside.

"I decided," Sonic says, "If I have to pick, then I will become the robot. I can't let my son become your slave, and live in a world like the one you'll make." I can hear Scorge crying behind me. To be honest, I feel like crying too. To give up the life of a child, a son, so he wouldn't have to live in such a horrible world...such a thing really takes a lot.

"Eggman," Amy says, "you don't have to do this. Don't you remember what it was like being Buster? To actually be able to go somewhere without people fearing you? To have someone who'll talk to you, even though you're different? Just stop this, and you can keep that." At this point, a true villian will just laugh. Boast about how nothing can stop them now. How resistance is futile. But I am not a true villian.

"Sonic, Amy," I say. "You never will understand what it's like. What it's like to come so far, and wanting to stop. I've come so far, most would say I can't quit. Are you saying, that after all I have done, I could just quit? Die off, and live a normal life? A villian can never be normal. They can pretend, but nothing can change the things they've done." I stare into their eyes, searching for some sense of understanding.

"A hero can never be normal either," Sonic says. "but please, don't do this. Unlike you, I have intentionally killed before. I know you know it was me who killed your father. Even though I was Super Sonic then, and I wasn't exactly sane, I still feel bad about it. I wouldn't want anyone to feel the same way. Not even you." He's right. I am not my father. Even if Sonic killed him, I can't bring myself to take revenge.

"The only thing lower than a villian," I say, "is a person who kills without remorse. I will not take that path. It's only one step down, but that doesn't mean I have to take it. And I apologize for my crimes. Tell them, Scorge, Shadow, and Eno, that I'm sorry. Especially Eno." I turn to leave, bekoning my robots to follow. I look back at my nemesis, one last time.

"But mark my words," I say, "Even if I can't kill you, I will come back, and make my empire!"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Sonic says happily, giving me a smile. I smile back, and walk away. I will never stoop this low again.

* * *

Months have passed now. Things are almost back to normal, including my new base. I still haven't been able to turn myself back to normal, but I know I will eventually. For now, I am running to my escape area, as Sonic and his friends once again foil my plans. I hop into my new escape plane, my robots counting down until we leave. I'm about to shut my window, when I see some of the animals enter the room. One of them is Eno, who's joined Sonic and friends. Except for his robotic limbs, like my own, I think he's still the same hedgehog I knew.

"You're too late to catch me," I say, "and you never will! I'll be back!" The plane is just about ready to leave.

"We'll get you next time," Sonic says. I nod in reply.

"And Eno, I-" I'm about to apologize, when the escape plane takes off. Here I go again, once again foiled. Oh well, maybe one day, I can finally apologize.

"Where to, Dr. Eggman?" my robots ask.

"How about the Nocturne Mountains?" I say. The robots nod, as they speed off in that direction. As we fly away, I'm almost certain I see someone waving at my plane.**

* * *

The End! I hope you all enjoyed it! Yes, there will be more stories to come. If you have any ideas or comments, feel free to say. Until next time, sayanora!**


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